Useful Materials and Resources for Homework

Your brain is not the only tool you will need to complete your homework. Plenty of other materials and resources will come in handy too. With the correct equipment, it can be easier to carry out research, keep organised and present your assignments well.

Organisation

It is important to ensure that all your work is kept in good condition and that is ordered in a manner that enables you to find it quickly. Try to keep a separate folder for each subject or course. You might want to divide this up still further, using clear plastic wallets or a set of coloured dividers.

A homework diary or journal is vital too. It is here that you can note down all your homework tasks and deadlines and keep track of your goals and objectives. Taking a quick flick through it will help you to assess your work load and keep on track.

Presentation

Whilst a single pen or pencil will enable you to get your ideas on to paper, it is enjoyable and rewarding to present your work in a colourful and attractive manner, if appropriate. If you can, invest in a set of colouring pencils. These are less messy than felt tips and allow you to do subtle shading. If writing up work on plain paper, you might think about using a ruler to draw a thin border, then colouring it in with a neat pattern or simple colour.

Rulers are also invaluable when it comes to underlining the title and date at the top of your work. A straight line may not be vital to your homework task, but it creates a good impression from the outset and signals to your teacher that you are taking care and pride in your work.

A rubber will help you to keep any pencil work looking tidy and an ink eraser might come in useful for those who write in washable blue ink. Some students favour small white sticky labels which can be used to cover mistakes. When revising, presentation is useful in helping you to take in and remember more information. A set of coloured highlighters is perfect for drawing attention to important facts and phrases within your notes. Working out your own colour coding systems is useful too.

Research Resources

Make sure that you have borrowed all the library books that you require in order to research your homework. If you hadn’t thought about doing extra research for your homework tasks, why not give it a go? Looking at reference books can help to get your ideas flowing and you might learn some interesting new facts about your homework topic.

If you need access to the Internet in order to complete your homework, try to work somewhere where this is available. Alternatively, ensure that you have made any notes you might need from the Internet in advance. The web is a fantastic resource but should be handled with care; ask your teacher for advice on which sites they deem to be useful and reliable.

If you can, try to have a look at a good newspaper about once a week. You might come across a story that is relevant to your homework topic and be able to weave it in to your assignment. Looking at a paper will also sharpen your skills of analysis and help you to think about different ways of writing that you could experiment with during study sessions.

A few extra materials and resources can make all the difference to your homework. There is no need to buy expensive materials. You might like to look for things second hand or see if your school sells discounted equipment. If you don’t have access to all the research materials that you need at home, try working in your school, college or local library. Before you begin your homework, ensure that you have all you need to hand. Being well prepared is the first step to homework success.